Process of treating metallic ores.



No. 696,361. Patented Dec. 3|, Ism.

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Paocsss oF mamme METALuc ones.

(Application led Feb. 27, 1901.)

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lNVENTOR ATTORNEY y TM: sums versus co. mom-uma., WASHINGTON. D. c.

` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STANLEY C. C. CURRIE, OF YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND EDWARD N.DIOKERSON, OF STOVALL, NORTH CAROLINA.

PROCESS OF TREATING METALLIC ORES.

SPECXFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,361, dated December31, 1901. Application iiled February 27, 1901. Serial No. 49,069; (Nospecimens.)

To all whom t may concern:

Betknown thatI, STANLEY C. C. CUR-RIE, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city andState of New York, have invented a new and useful ImprovementinProcesses of Treating Metallic Ores, of which the following is a full,true, and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

My invention relates to a method of treating metallic ores, being animprovement on what is generally known as the vat process. It isparticularly applicable to the chlorination of auriferous concentrates,and especially to the process as described in my patent of the UnitedStates No. 604,167, granted May 17, 1898. It can, however, be applied tothe extraction of gold and other metals by any suitable solvent.

My process may be carried out with various apparatus, of which Idescribe one.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a Vertical elevation,partly in section, of my apparatus; Fig. 2, a plan of my treating-vat,and Fig. 3 a cross-section.`

The following is a description of my apparatus.

T is a Vat made of wood or any other suitable material, preferablycoated inside with a paint or substance capable of preventing the acidsor chlorin in the solution from act ing on the material of which thetank is made. The tank may be of any suitable breadth or depth. v I

At a short distance above the bottom of the tank is a perforated falsebottom consisting of two layers F F2, between which may be placed asheet of asbestos or other material. One form of the false bottom whichI prefer is that as shown in section, Fig. 3, and plan, Fig. 2, F beinga section of the lower perforated plate and F2 the upper. H is theasbestos cloth spread and heldin place between F and F2. The spaces Qabove Hare filled with quartz, sand, or other suitable material ofdierent sizes. The false bottom rests upon suitable supports R R. As inthe ordinary vat process, the ore E lies in the top of the false bottomto any suitable thickness.

V V2 are valves.

K is a pump the action and use of which will be hereinafter described.

A, B, C, and D are tanks as applied to my process above referred to. Acontains water, and B a solution containing a -hypochlorite and chlorinor a hypochlorite alone, such as hypochlorite of sodium, (NaOCl,) theproportion of hypochlorite being in this tank greater than in C, inwhich there is a small percent-age of hypochlorite. For example,assuming the liquids are made by passing chlorin gas into a solution ofcaustic soda, there may be put in B a two to three vper cent. solutionof caustic soda and in O from one-quarter to one-half of one per cent.of caustic soda, together with an excess of free chlorin in eachthat isto say, up to saturation-011, as already stated, the solution in B maybe simply a hypochlorite without an excess of the free chlorin.

D is a tank containing an acid, such as sulfuric acid, diluted or not,as the circumstances ma y require.

Tanks A, B, C, and D have valved pipes communicating with pipe P.

I will now describe the process: After the ore E, such as finely-crushedand roasted sulfurets, (concentrates,) has been placed in the tank thevalve a is opened, allowing Water alone to pass up through the ore,flowing out through valve V' or V2, as may be required. The purpose ofthis is to thoroughly wash out any slimes, dirt, or useless matter asWell as any soluble salts. The flow of water must be so regulated as tosimply clean and not disturb too much of the ore itself, and the watershould be allowed `to flow until it becomes perfectly clear at theoutlet-valve. Of course the flow and time must depend upon the nature ofthe ore. As soon as the water becomes perfectly clear and all solublesalts have been washed out the valve a is closed' and the cock W opened,so as to empty the vat. As soon as a sufficient amount of water hasflowed out-'such,for example,as all above the orethe cock W is closedand b or c opened-for instance, let it be c-thus allowing the chlorinsolution containing the small percentage of hypochlorite to ow upthrough the ore to a suitable distance above. The valve c is thenclosed. The pump K is now started, the direction of the flow beingpreferably such as to ca use the solution in the vat to flow through thepump and up through the ore. The pump may be so arranged as to reversethe direction of ow, if necessary, from time to time. The nature of thesolution may be tested by valve V2 or any other suitably-placed valve,and if, for example, the solution shows too much acid the properproportion of liquor from tank B may be'run in, the acid in the vatbeing neutralized by the hypochlorite and at the same time free chlorinis liberated from the latter. If, on

the other hand, the solution remains or be# comes too alkali, acid canbe run in frorn the acid-tank D. Again, if the excess-of chlorin falltoo low, a fresh amount can be supplied from tank B or C, or acombination of both, or from B and D. Y

The great advantage of my metl1od,as above described, is the fact ofbeing able to regulate the new, the amount, and the exact proportions ofthe various constituents and solutions, so as adjust the same to therequirements of any particular ore. By this method any variation in thechemical constituents or any variation in the roasting o f theconcentrates, for example, can be easily and effectual-ly made bytheproportion of acid, alkali, and chlorin. By this method also awasteful excess of chlorin can be avoided, allowing only such amount aswill be absorbed by the solutions to be present. Thus I have found thatit is not necessary to have a hermetically-elosed vat, an ordinarycover, such as L, sufficient to prevent any current of air through thetop of the vat, being all thatis necessary. I have not in the aboveshown any method of feeding in and washing'out the ore, which of cou-rsecan be done by any of the'wellknown methods. It will be noted thatafterthegold has been dissolved the apparatus is selffiltering. Thesolution can be either drawn off clear at the top by valve V' or V2, atthe same time allowing fresh water to pass from tank A up through theore, thus Washing by its upward iiow, or the solution can `be drawn oclear at the bottom through cock W, or, as I have found advantageous insome cases, a combination of both. Thus I may draw olf at V2 at iii-stand afterward at W, then again at the top valve, and lastly at the cockW. The adj ustability and ease of operation and at the same time thefact of being able to keep the nature of the solution under completecontrol are the great features of my in-v vention. The fact of firstwashing the ore with water is also an important feature,which, besidesgetting rid of any slimes, also carries o various undesirable substancesand salts which are soluble in the water. It must be observed that Imight first saturate the ore with the hypochlorite solution from tank Band then run in the dilute acid solution, thus generating chlorin intheore during the passage of the latter, or vice Versa. In fact, the

--various combinations are too numerous to describe in detail.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is`V l. The process of treating precious ores which consists of treatingthem with a hypo= chlorite and an acid, and in maintaining the resulting`solution substantially neutral by varying the amount of acid or alkaliin said solution, substantially Aas described.

2. A process for treating precious ores, con'- sisting in washing themwith Water to remove the impurities therefrom, separatelysubjecting theWashed ores to solutions containing chlorin and dilute acidrespectively, and then driving o said solution by passing Water throughthe ores.

3. A process for treating precious ores consisting in treating the oreswith a solution containing chlorin and a-n acid, and then suitablymaintaining the resulting solution neutral.

4 A process for treating sulf-ureted ores containing acid, consisting intreating the ores With'a solution containing chlorin and a hypochlorite,and then varying the amount of hypochlorite during the treatment so asto maintain the resulting solution free from acid. 5. A process fortreating sul-fureted` ores containing acid, consisting in washing themwith water to remove all impurities therefrom, subjecting the Washedores to a solution containing chlorin and a hypochlorite, and varyingthe amount of hypochlorite during the treatment of the ores, so as tomaintain the resulting solution free from acid.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

STANLEY C. C. CURRIE. Witnesses:

Guo. E. CRUSE,

CHARLES S. JONES.

IOO

